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GAS GENERATING APPARATUS. No. 256,741. Patented Apr.18,1882

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UNITED STATES ATENT Darren.

EDWARD B. REYNOLDS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS-GENERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,741, dated April 18, 1882.

Application filed December 29, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD B. REYNOLDS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at New York, in t-he county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Generating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of apparatus for generating gas for illuminating and heating purposes, and the particular class of gas-generating apparatus to which my invention more especially pertains is that in which a mixture of hydrocarbon vapor and air is produced by forcing a current of atmospheric air through a mass of pulverized charcoal saturated with gasoline. in the apparatus heretofore employed for this purpose it has been found that when air is forced through the saturated carbon under a high pressure some portion of the gasoline is carried over in a liquid state and into the outlet-pipe through which the gas is delivered.

The object of my invention is to prevent any portion of the liquid gasoline from entering the delivery-pipe, and also to more uniformly and effectually distribute the air from the inlet-pipe throughout the mass of saturated charcoal.

To this end my invention consists in the combination, with a gas-generatin g apparatus, of a gas-receiving chamber inserted in and virtually forming a portion of the outlet-pipe above the generating-cylinder, which is provided with a series of inclined deflectors for the purpose of arresting any spray of gasoline which may be carried over from the vaporizing-chamber.

My invention further consists in the combination, in a gas-generating cylinder, of a compartment containing a mixture of pulverized charcoal and gasoline, constituting a vaporizing-chamber, a compartment containing a packing of fibrous material, constituting a drying-chamber, and an intervening compartment, separated from the drying-chamber by horizontal perforated division-walls, for the purpose of preventing the absorption by the fibrous packing of the drying-chamber of gasoline from the vaporizing-chamber.

The invention also consists in the combina- (No model.)

tion of an air-distributing chamber located beneath the vaporizing-chamber, and separated therefrom by an intervening perforated wall, an inlet-pipe communicating therewith, and a series of perforated upright pipes leading from the-air-distributing chamber for distributing the air as uniformly as possible throughout the mass of pulverized charcoalsaturated with gasoline and contained in the vaporizingbhamher.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my improved gas-generating apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same.

In the drawings, A represents the outer wall of the generating-cylinder, which maybe constructed of sheet metal, iron, or other suitable material. Throughout the length of this cylinder extend three internal horizontal walls or partitions, a, rt, and a", which are constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material perforated with small holes, or of wire-gauze. By these partitions the cylinder is divided into four compartments or chambers,A B CD. The compartment 8 is closely packed with a mass of pulverized charcoal, which is to be kept saturated with gasoline or naphtha, and may be termed a vaporizing-chamber." The compartment D is occupied by ati ghtly-compressed mass of cotton or other fibrous material, and constitutes a drying-chamber for the gas. The intervening chamber, (J, separates the mass of fibrous packing from the vaporizing-chamber, and thereby prevents the absorption of the liquid gasoline therefrom.

Through one end ofthe outer wall, A, the air-supply pipe A enters, passing directly to the bottom of the cylinder and communicating with the air-distributing chamber A. A series of upright pipes, I), leading from the chamber A, extend to the upper part of the vaporizing-chamber 13. These pipes are perforated throughout their length, in order to facilitate the distribution of the air throughout the mass of carbon; but their upper extremities are preferably closed to prevent the air from escaping directly into the chamber 0. In case, however, it is desired to produce a gas containing .a maximum amount of air, the upper extremities of the pipes may be provided with openings of greater or less size, according to the amount of atmospheric air which it is desired to incorporate With the hydrocarbon vapor.

From the exterior wall, A, one or more pipes or tubes, 01, lead to theintermediate chamber,

the inleopipe A the chamber A, and the pipes Z), in the direction indicated by the arrows. The air thus introduced escapes through the perforations in the walla and the pipes b, and permeates the entire mass of pulverized charcoal 'in'the chamber B, at the same time taking up the required amount of hydrocarbon vapor.- The gas thus formed passes through the mass of fibrous material in the dryingchamber 1), from which it escapes through suitable outlet-pipes, c, which communicate with a gas chamber or reservoir, E1 From opposite sides'of the gas-chamber E project toward-its interior inclined walls or deflectors e", eachof which extends somewhat beyond the center of the chamber and between the ends of the opposite deflectors, as seen in Fig. 1. The object of these deflectors is to conduct the gas from side to side of the chamber as it escapes from the generating-cyliuder, and in Y this way to arrest any spray or liquid gasoline which may be carried into the outlet-pipe by the force of the current of air from the inletpipe A The deflectors e and the lower portion .of the gas-chamber E are preferably construeted with a downward slope to allow the chamber separated therefrom by perforated division-walls, and replenishing-pipes.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a gas-generating cylinder, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the air-inlet pipe, the air-distributing chambcl, the vaporizing-chamber above said airdist-ributing chamber, the intervening perforated division-wall, the upright air-distributing perforated pipes leading from said air-distributing chamber, the drying-Chamber, the horizontal chamber intervening between said vaporizing and drying chambers, the perforated division-walls, and the replenishing-pipes lead ing to said intervening chamber.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set. forth, in a gas-generating cylinder, of the air-distributing chamber, the horizontal vaporizing-chamber above said air-distributing chamber, the horizontal drying-chamber, the intervening perforated division-walls, and the gas-receiving chamber provided with inwardly-projecting deflectors.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of December, A. D. 1881.

. EDWARD B. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

MILLER U. EARL,

CHARLES A. TERRY. 

